


Dancing in the moonlight

by nishiki



Series: Kliego Moments [5]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Ballroom Dancing, Boys In Love, Dancing, Dancing Lessons, Dorks in Love, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, First Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Love, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Slow Dancing, Teen Romance, teenage love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26409541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishiki/pseuds/nishiki
Summary: Klaus was watching from the sidelines and his stomach made a somersault. He felt like throwing up and his hands were suddenly very sweaty and disgusting.In which Diego realizes his feelings for Klaus - but it takes him a moment.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Kliego Moments [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818838
Comments: 12
Kudos: 130





	Dancing in the moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write this one as a huge thank you to all of you who had my back during the incident where my fanfiction 'All along the watchtower' got stolen and uploaded to AO3. Thank you so much for your support. I hope you enjoy this one. I especially thank GlitterFairy_21225 for telling me about it <3 <3 <3

**December 2005**

Diego’s face was scrunched up in a frown. He was the only one of the six Hargreeves children that was frowning. Allison could hardly hide the smile creeping up on her and tugging at the corners of her mouth ever so slightly, Luther grinned from ear to ear, Vanya seemed happy just to be included, Ben looked as calm and indifferent as most of the time, and Klaus … Well, he was high. He was high most of the time now. They just turned sixteen and Klaus had reached the point where he couldn't go a day without his coping mechanisms - i.e. drugs. It broke his heart to see Number Four like this all the time. That was not the cause of his frown, however.

Luther and he had been tasked earlier to push the furniture in the family room to the sides to create some space in the giant room. A fire was crackling peacefully in the two fireplaces of the room, giving the illusion of festivity so close to Christmas. Five was staring down at his siblings with cold indifference. Classical music was playing softly from the old gramophone in the corner that usually only threw the words of Herr Karlson back at them during mealtimes. Snow was gently falling outside of the large windows, piling up on the sidewalks and in the yard, and Sir Reginald Hargreeves was staring at them with the same expressionless face as always, his eyes cold like those of a dead fish.

Come to think of it, even his dead pet goldfish Pedro had had more emotion in his face after Diego forgot to feed him three days in a row. 

“Why do I have to team up with Klaus?” He whined and it didn't escape him how Klaus looked at him at those words. They were standing in line like the perfect little soldiers Reginald had always desired them to be, dressed in their uniforms, waiting for the lesson to start while Mom and Pogo were watching from the side and their teacher, a stern-looking woman, observing quietly from behind Reginald. Even through the drug haze, Number Four seemed hurt by his words and the implication behind them. Fuck. He didn't mean Klaus to get hurt in any way. He just … didn't. 

“I will allow none of this nonsense, Number Two!” Reginald barked before clapping his hands sharply. “In position, children.”

His hands were already sweaty even though he had not yet put his hands anywhere near Klaus’ lithe form. It seemed torture that he had to pair up with Klaus for this exercise. Maybe that was the point. Maybe his father was trying to torture him.

“Why do we need to learn how to dance anyway?” He groaned, knowing that his father wouldn't budge. Talking back to Reginald didn't come naturally to Diego. He had wasted sixteen years of his life so far trying to please the man. 

“You will attend the annual Christmas gala with me this year. You are sixteen years old now and should be there to represent the Umbrella Academy now that you are no longer children.” Reginald barked. “And you will be expected to dance.”

“Klaus will just stumble around and make a mess.” Allison snickered and, for a brief moment, Diego could see that same expression of hurt flash in Klaus’ green eyes again. He played it off with a casual smile as he always did. 

“I won't stumble as much as you do in your heels.” Klaus huffed and stuck his tongue out. Allison rolled her eyes. There had been a rift between Klaus and Allison recently. They used to be quite close. Not as close as Klaus and Diego used to be but close enough that they used to play salon together all the time as Vanya had little interest in ‘girly things’. He remembered how Allison once gave Klaus a haircut when they were ten and their father grounded both of them for doing it. After all, their bodies were not their bodies and they had no right to decide what they would do with their own bodies or their hair or anything else for that matter. They were their father's prized possession and he got to decide how they looked. 

Diego knew that there was no way out of this ridiculous situation and still he tried to avoid it as the rest of his siblings already paired up and walked a bit further away to have enough room. 

“So?” Klaus sighed at last and offered Diego his hand.

“I’m gonna lead” Diego just said and leveled him a glare. Klaus didn't have the decency to shrink back and why would he? Klaus knew Diego better than anyone else. He knew that he would never actually deliberately hurt him, right? Sometimes, however, Diego’s words were as sharp as his knives. 

"Of course, you do, Baby. You're the man" Klaus rolled his eyes mockingly as Diego grabbed his hand with a little more force than strictly necessary. As their skin touched he tried desperately to ignore the nauseating feeling in the pit of his stomach. A part of him thought about how Klaus had snuck out last night to go to a party and how he returned at 3 AM. His room was right next to Klaus. He had heard him come back, giggling like a schoolgirl after a date. He was sure that Vanya had heard it too.

"You're damn right I am. One of us has to be." He muttered as he placed his other hand firmly on Klaus' tiny waist, hoping that Klaus would not feel how sweaty his hands were. Inside, however, he was beating himself up for this stupid remark he just made.

"You're doing it wrong" Klaus commented and swiftly corrected the placement of Diego's hand before their dancing instructor started clapping the tact in which they should be moving accompanied by a steady stream of "One, Two, Three. One, two, three"

He noticed that the others seemed to have no trouble at all to fall into tact while he was struggling to lead Klaus. A part of him felt like Klaus was making it deliberately harder for him. He knew that this wasn’t the case but it still felt this way as he was all but shoving Klaus around the room. Of course, soon their teacher was next to them.

“No shoving, _leading_ ” She commented and took over for Diego for a second to show him how it was done. Miraculously, Klaus moved along just fine, and that only built his anger. Once more Diego grabbed Klaus’ waist and hand only to have his hands corrected by the teacher with a click of her tongue. “You are too stiff. dancing is communication, Diego. You have to communicate to your partner with your movement where you want him to go and what to do and when you do that, he will follow your lead blindly.”

Diego doubted that Klaus would follow his lead - because he was Klaus and Klaus liked to fuck with people. He was certain that Klaus was behaving as he did now just to be annoying to Diego. Just to make it harder for Diego. Well, maybe he had not been very nice to him lately too. Maybe he had been a bit too snappy with Klaus. Maybe he made a few too many rude comments towards him lately. Maybe he shouldn't have run around and acted like Klaus had the plague ever since Number Four had come out (more or less) about him liking boys. 

He couldn't quite describe what had been going on with him either. It wasn't like he hadn't suspected that Klaus was gay or bi or whatever he wanted to call it. He had always kinda known about it but now that it was out in the open it was … weird between them. Suddenly, his hands started getting sweaty when Klaus was near him and his heart was racing. He felt like he was having a heart attack just touching his hand right now and wasn’t that just messed up?

“I don't have the plague, you know?” Klaus muttered as if he could read his mind and he could hear a hint of hurt in his voice as he spoke. 

“What?”

“A football team would be able to fit between us right now…” 

“Oh” It was true. He was holding Klaus at arm’s length and he was sure that it looked completely ridiculous the way they were trying to dance. “Sorry” He muttered and stepped closer. 

He allowed his eyes to wander once more - just so that he could look anywhere but at Klaus. Luther was very stiff but at least he was doing a decent job even though it looked as if Allison was leading him and not the other way around. Ben was just a bit uncoordinated but his form was nice and Vanya seemed willing to follow his lead no matter how ridiculous the direction seemed. He, on the other hand, felt hot under the collar of his shirt and unable to fulfill the most basic commands right now. 

He wasn't a bad dancer usually. He loved to dance and Klaus did too. They had often danced together during their impromptu dance parties in the attic when Dad wasn’t home. Right now it was different, though. He had never had problems touching Klaus or be near him, quite the contrary. He had always sought out his company. but now everything had changed and he didn't know why.

The moment he and Klaus were closer together was also the moment when Diego stepped on Klaus’ left foot. “Ouch!” Klaus hissed but he didn't seem angry, just surprised by Diego’s clumsiness.

“Sorry” He muttered only to do it again five seconds later.

“Jesus, Dee!” Klaus groaned. “What's wrong with you? You aren't usually that bad of a dancer!”

“Well, it all depends on the partner.”

“Wow! Fuck you too, Man!” Klaus snarked. “What's your problem? Afraid to catch the gay all of a sudden?”

“What?” He couldn't help that his voice jumped a few octaves and noticed how their siblings were looking at them now. “Are you crazy? Why would I?” He was honestly hurt that Klaus actually thought he could be homophobic in any nature. _He!_ Hadn't it been Diego who had always supported Klaus with everything his crazy, adopted brother did? Hadn't he been the person Klaus had always run to in the past for comfort and protection? Wasn’t he the one always watching out for Klaus? 

“That's what I wanna know!” Klaus shot back. “If you hate me so much just say it and don't be such a coward about it!” It was rare to see Klaus angry. Rare to hear him yell or lose his calm demeanor but right now he did.

“What? I don't hate you!” 

“Yes, you do!” Klaus growled and stomped on Diego’s foot in retaliation. It didn't really hurt all that much, though. “Fuck you, Diego!” 

Diego stared in awe how Klaus rushed off under the surprised looks of their siblings. Suddenly, he felt frozen in place. He could feel his father’s disappointed - maybe disgusted - gaze on him and felt the hairs in the back of his neck stand up in alarm. He felt his ears burn bright red. He could see the anger in Allison’s eyes as she glared at him next. Despite the rift between her and Klaus, she was still Klaus’ protective big sister. And Diego … He just wanted to disappear. 

※※※※※※※

The mansion of the City’s mayor was bursting at the seams with all kinds of rich and famous people. Actors and Actresses alike had found their way into the Georgian building. Politicians were sipping champagne and eating hors d’oeuvre. Models and musicians were hitting it off on the dance floor. All the while Mayor Robins was walking around making conversation together with his wife.

The stiff, starched collar of his white shirt was suffocating him. The suit was scratchy and uncomfortable. It was tailored to his body, of course, made from the best fabrics and created by the best haberdashers out there. His father might not care about his children but he did care about their looks and about their public image. So, only the best for them. The best was still uncomfortable, though. Not to mention those stiff, polished, black dress shoes from Italy. As Diego stood there and nursed a glass of champagne like everyone else in his crazy family, he felt horrible and uncomfortable and all he wanted to do was to bail through one of the large windows of the mansion.

It wasn’t the first event of that nature the Umbrella Academy had attended with their father. After their debut in the public eye at the age of thirteen, there had been loads of parties in their honor which they had been forced to attend but it was their first outing like this where they were not the focus but meant to socialize and make connections to famous and important people. In some strange way, this was their debut - not as superheroes but actual real people. 

He watched how Allison was prancing around the ballroom, a glass of champagne in one hand, looking dazzling in her beautiful dark-red dress, making small talk with all kinds of strangers while Luther was following her around like a lost puppy. None of them were good at communication - not with each other and the least with strangers. Well, except Allison and Klaus, perhaps. Allison wanted to become a famous actress. She had already starred in one or two movies last year and she would make it big in Hollywood - if not because of her talent then because of her powers. And Klaus … Klaus was a social butterfly. He had no fear of talking to strangers and saying the most outlandish things. 

It helped that both he and Allison were a bit more used to the limelight since they were the two who were forced to do most photoshoots and interviews. His father was collecting every newspaper and every magazine his children were in and so Diego got to admire Klaus’ face on those magazine covers. He was already treated like some sort of teen heartthrob by the media. Well, he did have the looks and the charm. Every time he saw him swarmed by adoring fans, Diego felt a pang of anger. Jealousy, perhaps? Was he, deep down, jealous that it wasn’t him being adored by so many teenage girls? Or was it something else? Lately … Lately, his mind was playing tricks on him and he absolutely hated it. 

He watched Klaus talk to a group of middle-aged ladies at the side of the ballroom, his third glass of Champagne in his hand, and his eyes sparkling with mischief. God, he loved that expression on him. It always promised fun and was a welcome reprise from the glossed-over look when he was high and lethargic. He hated it when Klaus was high. Weed made him slow and a bit clumsy, cocaine made him hyper and bouncy. He just hoped that he hadn't taken anything tonight. Not that their father would care. Not that anyone but Diego would notice. He was too in tune with Klaus not to notice and sometimes he wished it would be different. Life would be easier. 

The women laughed about something Klaus had said and he wished he could be closer to hear what he had told them. He wished he would be able to put an arm around Klaus’ shoulders like he used to when they would be somewhere where they were both out of their comfort zone. People didn't think twice about it when Diego would do it. There were many press photos of him doing it. 

The outside world knew that Two and Four were close - inseparable even. Right now, however … they weren’t and he missed Klaus’ presence by his side. Right now, he felt like he was drifting on the open sea, about to drown. He was no fan of social gatherings like this. He didn't like all those snobby people around him. He envied Vanya being at home with Mom and a nice hot mug of cocoa with marshmallows. He felt like he was some exotic thing shown off to the world as if he was not a human being but some prized possession. 

Well, that was exactly what he was, right? A trophy. He felt small and insignificant in this sea of strangers. Usually, he could deal with that. Usually, he had Klaus by his side to help him deal. Right now, he was just terrified that he needed to talk to someone and wouldn't be able to say anything without stuttering. Dad would be so pissed. When he was with Klaus he felt a lot safer and comfortable in his own skin. _He missed Klaus_. 

Since their fight a few weeks ago, Klaus hadn't talked to him, not even sought out his company. He spent most of his time in his room painting or hung around Allison’s room to steal her makeup and annoy her. Last week, Allison had kicked him out and banned him from her room. She had even put up a sign _‘No Klaus’ allowed’_ on her bedroom door. Not that this would have kept him out. He had tried it once when they were much littler. He was glad that it hadn't worked. 

“This scar” The sound of a melodic voice close by made him startle and tear his eyes away from Klaus. He felt much colder right away. 

A woman stood in front of him, clearly amused by the way he had zoned out in the middle of a fancy party. She looked like she was probably in her late fifties and was wearing too much makeup. It was creasing in her wrinkles and her lashes looked clotted with mascara. Klaus’ lashes never looked like this when he would steal some of Allison’s mascara. Klaus’ lashes always looked pretty. Klaus’ eyes always looked pretty and he liked it when he was wearing eyeliner. He didn't like the eyeliner this woman wore, though. After a moment of thought, he realized that it was the mayor’s wife Marjory who was in front of him in a bright red Chanel dress. 

“It looks ghastly!” He tried not to make a grimace. “A battle scar no doubt.”

Subconsciously, Diego touched the scar at the side of his head and made a grimace after all. The skin was still a bit tender there. It was getting better and he thought that the scar made him look very cool. “No” He replied and needed to clear his throat so that he didn't sound like he had swallowed a frog. “Actually … Klaus wanted to learn how to throw knives and I taught him. It didn't end too well.”

The woman laughed as if he had made the funniest joke she had ever heard. She should be outraged, he guessed, that pubescent boys with stupid ideas had access to such sharp blades and were allowed to do such dangerous games with each other. He could have died. A little more to the left and Klaus would have pierced his eye. But she laughed. Diego wasn't angry with Klaus. He had apologized, freaked out when he had accidentally hurt Diego, and never left his side while the wound got stitched up. He remembered Klaus hovering around him, hands trying to soothe, green eyes worried and afraid.

“I talked to your brother earlier” He didn't like it when people would call Klaus his brother. He had never liked it. He didn't know why. It didn't bother him with his other siblings. But Klaus was different. Klaus wasn't his brother. He was so much more than this, right? He was his best friend, he was the person he looked at for guidance. He didn't like it when people would say Klaus was his brother. It made him feel uneasy and squeamish. It felt wrong when people would say this. He didn't know why. “He is very charming.”

“Yes, he is” Diego huffed. “You better watch out or he charms your socks off. He has mastered the art of always getting his way. It's hard to say no to him.”

“Someone is speaking from experience.”

“I grew up with him,” Diego replied with a chuckle. “Not one day has passed when I didn't give him my last cookie, so to say.” 

“I need to know all about that.” Marjory smiled. “But first, would you like to join me for a dance?”

If Klaus would be here at his side where he should be, he would find a way out for Diego. But he wasn't by his side. He was talking to strangers. There was no escape, no way out. He was talking to the mayor’s wife, after all. 

“S-Sure.” He stammered. 

He had continued dancing lessons with the teacher after Klaus had left that day but he was still nervous to now be showing his acquired skill - or lack thereof. Then again, he had managed to dance decently enough with their teacher, right? Maybe Klaus had been the problem in that equation. He didn't like to think that way, though. Maybe under different circumstances, he would have loved to dance with Klaus. But lately, everything was just so … scattered.

He emptied his glass, tried not to make a face, and placed it on the tray of a waiter walking past them before he offered his arm to Marjory like he had been taught and led her to the dancefloor. He saw Ben dancing with an old woman. He was staring at his feet and he could see him mumbling to himself _‘One, two, three’_ while leading the old lady across the dance floor. Ben was as stiff as a board now that his new skill was put to the test. 

Usually, Klaus and he would make fun of the third member of their trio now. Marjory smiled at him in encouragement as he put a hand on her waist and took her other hand in his. He was already taller than her and promised to grow a lot taller than he already was. He was taller than Klaus too. Not by much but at least two, maybe three inches. He wondered if Klaus and he would be the same height again eventually. He liked it that Klaus was a tiny bit shorter than him right now. It was fun to tease him about it.

Clumsily, Diego started to lead Marjory across the dance floor. He noticed how Allison was actually dancing with the mayor now, talking to him freely as if they were old friends. 

“You are doing good” Marjory smiled as he tried to focus on his steps and the tact in his head. Klaus was watching from the sidelines and his stomach made a somersault. He felt like throwing up and his hands were suddenly very sweaty and disgusting. Marjory probably noticed and was disgusted with him. “No need to be nervous, Dear. I know the limelight can be intimidating.”

“Y-yeah.” Diego stuttered. Only now he grew aware of the fact that people were watching. Reginald was watching. He wanted to curl up in a ball in the corner and be swallowed whole by the earth. Why couldn't a meteor fall down on them right now? Why couldn't an armed robbery rip him away from this moment? Where were the bad guys when one needed them?

“I wouldn't have expected one of the famous Umbrella kids having stage fright.”

“I-I … don't often … give i-interviews o-or something…”

“Don't worry about it too much,” Marjory smiled. “We all needed to go through this. You are doing just fine, Darling.” He didn't feel fine, though. He felt dizzy. Klaus was still watching him and he couldn't quite tell what his expression was. He felt very hot under the collar though. Maybe he was having a heart attack. 

“May I cut in?” The voice of a man suddenly asked. Diego hadn't even noticed that they had come near the mayor and Allison. Before he knew it, Marjory had been whisked away from him and he was now dancing with his sister. He was almost glad that Allison was taking the lead because he felt ready to pass out.

“Eww, Diego!” She said and pulled the corners of her mouth down in disgust. “Your hands are all sweaty and gross!” 

Diego couldn't help but let relief wash over him as he finally stepped outside of the ballroom and onto one of the balconies into the cold December air. The cold slapped him across the face like a scorned lover as he let out a relieved sigh and walked over to the stone balustrade of the Georgian mansion. From this point, he could overlook the gardens of the mansion. Sometimes, he wished that the academy would have gardens like this one too. He would love to take a walk with Mom in a garden like this. He wished Reginald had brought her along but she waited at home for their safe return together with Vanya and Pogo. 

For a while, he just stared ahead, trying to make sense of what was going on with him lately or why he had broken out in a sweat while dancing with the mayor’s wife. Had it just been stagefright as she said or was it the way Klaus had stared at him? Maybe he was just getting sick.

“Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” A voice behind him made him jump and return to the real world, break free from the world inside his own head. As he turned around he knew who he would find walking out of the mansion and into the cold December air. He would recognize that playful voice in a sea of voices. Klaus’ smiled nervously as he approached him, his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. He looked a bit sheepish and Diego didn't quite get why. He looked good in his new black suit, though. Diego wondered if he felt just as uncomfortable in it as he did. 

“What?”

“It's … Shakespeare.”

“Yeah, I know.” He huffed and rolled his eyes. “Dad made us learn his plays by rote.”

“Hey did you know that nobody knows what Shakespeare did between the years 1585 and 1592? And that we probably all spell his name wrong because he apparently never wrote his full name down anywhere as a signature?”

“Klaus”

“What? I mean, I could probably ask the man, the myth, the legend himself but I just think it's rude to pull someone from the afterlife just out of curiosity. I mean, if you want me to, I would, of course, but-”

“You would conjure Shakespeare for me?”

“I guess.” Klaus shrugged. “Listen … I’m trying to say that I’m sorry for yelling at you the other day.”

“You have a weird way of apologizing.”

“Maybe because I don't do it often.”

“Maybe you should do it more often.”

“No, I am of the profound opinion that one should only apologize if one does actually mean it. That I am not apologizing for every little thing I do wrong all the time makes it more special when I actually do apologize, in my humble opinion so … yeah, you should feel honored.”

“Not really the way I would go about an apology but I appreciate it” Diego huffed. He had missed this. This banter between them, the way their conversation flowed so effortlessly. He marveled at Klaus’ quick mind and wit and he hated the days they wasted being angry and stupid and not talking. “I’m sorry too” He then murmured quietly as Klaus walked closer. They could hear the music from inside. “For being such a doofus.”

“You are forgiven - but only if you dance with me.” His heart skipped a beat at those words. Maybe he was getting sick after all. 

“You know I’m a horrible dancer - You’ve seen it just now!”

“You are a marvelous dancer.”

“I stepped on Allie’s feet three times before she had enough.”

“You had the wrong partner then.” Klaus held out his hand and he was afraid to take it. His hands were still sweating and disgusting but as he finally took Klaus’ cold hand in his he found it just as sweaty as his own and was actually surprised. That probably spoke of how nervous Klaus was to confront Diego about his apology. With a sigh, he put a hand on Klaus’ tiny waist and waited for the right moment to start his steps. 

It was surprisingly easy this time and he didn't quite know why. He didn't have the urge to count in his head or look at his feet as they slowly moved in the tact of the music on that snow-covered balcony. 

“See?” Klaus smirked as Diego looked him directly in the eyes. He found his entire world zeroing in on those emerald orbs in Klaus’ pale face. His eyes had always been gorgeous but tonight they seem to be the only thing Diego could really focus on. He still didn't understand what was wrong with him lately or why his heart was racing in his chest whenever he was in the proximity of Number Four. Klaus’ smile, however, put his mind at ease, though - made everything seem less important. “You just needed the right partner, Romeo.”

The next moment, Diego was leaning in to kiss him without him realizing what he did. He found Klaus’ lips soft and pliant and was not met with resistance. The moment their lips touched felt like the world lost its equilibrium and fell out of its orbit all at once. Up was down and down was up. Blood was rushing through his body at top speed, his heart was hammering away at his rips - a bird trying to escape its unyielding cage. 

He stopped dancing and instead cupped Klaus’ face with both his hands. He liked it that he needed to lean down to kiss Klaus. All that came rushing through his mind and at the same time, his mind was blissfully empty because Klaus was not pulling back or shoving him away. Klaus was here, his arms around Diego’s neck, his lips opening in a silent invitation for him to go further. He had never kissed anyone. The thought made his hands even sweatier. He had never kissed anyone and Klaus had so much experience already! He was probably the worst kisser Klaus had ever met! As they broke apart, he almost expected Klaus to punch him or make a crude comment or say something mean but Klaus just stared at him, mesmerized, his arms still around Diego’s neck.

“I always hoped it would be like this.” Klaus then murmured quietly, his lips still red from the kiss, his eyes never leaving Diego’s.

“What?” He didn't want to break the moment and so he raised his voice barely above a whisper.

“My first kiss, of course.” Klaus shrugged, his cheeks turning pink ever so slightly. “I hoped it would be you.”

It was this, which finally broke down the wall in the back of his mind. The wall that made him unable to see what had been standing between Klaus and him for weeks and months now. It wasn't that he didn't like Klaus to go out at night and meet other men. It wasn't the fact that Klaus was gay and that he was weirded out by that. It was that he was jealous that Klaus wasn’t with _him_ when he would go out. It was the fear that Klaus would fall in love with someone else but him. He started to laugh as he finally got what his body had tried to tell him and before Klaus could ask something, he kissed him again.

※※※※※※※

**April 2019**

Music was blaring through the academy. April 3rd, 2019 had arrived without fanfares or fireworks. It was a day like any other - with the exception that there was currently some _Backstreet Boys’_ song playing at full volume through the house. It was cathartic as he was dancing in the family room and knew that his siblings were probably doing the same thing somewhere inside the house. They were home, his mom had cut his hair short, he felt ten pounds lighter and _they were home_. Home. Their time-travel shenanigans seemed just a bad dream as he was twirling on his toes and narrowly avoided crashing into the expensive coffee table. 

He still couldn't believe it. That they were home, safe, the world still turning. He saw how Klaus sauntered in - clearly on the prowl for him. He was still wearing Diego’s pajama pants as he walked in, his hair still tousled from last night. Mom had almost cut into Klaus’ left ear when she had cut his hair because, of course, Number Four had been unable to sit still, adamantly chatting with a very much alive Ben. Whatever they did in the past timeline when they met Reggie, they seemed to have changed everything for the better. Thankfully, Reggie was still dead, though.

“Look at you” Klaus grinned as he stepped closer. Diego reached his hand out and Klaus took it right away, allowing Diego to twirl him on the spot. They were the same height now but Diego still liked kissing him, even though he didn't need to lean down anymore. His heart, however, was still racing every time the man he loved was near him and his hands still got sweaty and disgusting when he touched him.


End file.
